Dash set for final match against Chicago Red Stars

The Dash have played the Red Stars twice this season and both times they have lost. In the fifth week of the NWSL season Houston traveled to Chicago and lost 1-0 after a three-hour weather delay. Three games later they hosted the Red Stars at BBVA Compass Stadium but lost 1-3. Last time the two teams met the Red Stars were in second place in the league. Now Chicago sits fifth in the standings with 27 points while the Dash sits one up from the bottom of the table with 17 points.

Jen Hoy has been a player that the Houston Dash defense have struggled to contain. She has scored against the Dash in both matches this season and got an assist in the second match. This season she has scored four goals and had three assists. Lori Chalupany is one of the top players in the NWSL in fouls committed and is number one in fouls suffered.

The Chicago defense can also be a challenge to breakdown and if you can get past it Karina LeBlanc is waiting in goal to stop the ball. She has 57 saves in the 16 games she has played this year. Not to mention she has posted four shutouts.

The Dash seem to finally be coming together. They tied their last game 1-1 against the Washington Spirit and won 2-1 over the Boston Breakers the game before that.

Last game the Houston Dash were without Ella Masar who suffered a concussion at the end of the game against the Spirit. However, she should be up to her usual tricks on the field Saturday. Tiffany McCarty hasn't scored since the teams win over the Western New York Flash on June 11 after a going on a short scoring tear. While McCarty has cooled Marissa Diggs scored her first professional goal last week against the Spirit potentially kicking off a scoring tear of her own. Kealia Ohai seems to have found her scoring stride with the team scoring two goals against the Boston Breakers and coming close several times against the Spirit.

The Dash's backline is still troublesome with Whitney Engen and Meghan Klingenberg still settling in and communication problems still persisting. Also, troublesome are the goals that Erin McLeod has allowed in over the last three games. While she makes amazing save after save on the goal line as soon as she comes out, things get dicey in a hurry. She has had several balls chipped over her and into the net by the other team.

The Red Star's Alyssa Mautz and the Dash's Ella Masar both have four yellow cards. A fifth card would see them sitting out their teams next game.

The game kicks off at 1pm CT at Village of Lisle-Benedictine University Sports Complex. A live stream of the game will be posted on Dynamo Theory before kickoff.